Organize your grand entrance

An interviewer is not a surprise situation you know you'll probably be in a waiting room and that at any moment you'll be called in. So be ready.'I can't tell you how many candidates scramble for their bag, their coat, their water, their book, and hunched over and arms full still try to shake my hand. It's hard to look professional and poised this way,' says Ceniza-Levine. So pare down what you're carrying and leave a hand free to shake. She adds that you should make sure your first impression isn't a wardrobe malfunction (for women, that may be a skirt that rides up too far, and for a man, pants that are hemmed too short). 'One job seeker wore Mickey Mouse socks that so distracted an interviewer, he went from front-runner to discard,' recalls Ceniza-Levine.